Sunday, October 24, 2010
The only thing that is getting beaten worse than the Jayhawks in conference play is coach Tuner Gill’s perception among the fans. Another blowout loss, this time to Texas A&M 45-10, is just fuel for the fire that is putting heat on the head coach who is only seven games into his career at Kansas.
As if there was ever any doubt before this week, Kansas has become the worst team in the Big 12. They’ve become that team opponents look forward to playing because it’s fun to win by five touchdowns. They’ve become that team who can help opponents on three game losing streaks leave on the right track.
The Jayhawks are only three seasons removed from winning the Orange Bowl and it was only last year Kansas had expected to compete for the Big 12 North title.
The worst part is that minimal, if any, improvements are being made from week to week. So despite the clear lack of talent on this team, a good coach would still take a group of players and make them better as the season progresses. You definitely could not say that happened between the Baylor and Kansas State games. And although the Kansas offense seemed as if they may be able to compete with Texas A&M early in the game, devastating mistakes killed any hope the Jayhawks might have had.
“I can’t really put a finger on what exactly happened,” tight end Tim Biere said. “Something just always happens.”
The end result was a stadium which is seeing dwindling attendance and an increasing number of fans leaving early.
At the center of this disaster is Gill, who is dealing with mounting criticism. What is there to say about him? He has been outscored 159-24 in three Big 12 games. He won against New Mexico State, who is 1-6 and against Georgia Tech who hasn’t been ranked since it lost to Kansas and already has lost three times this year. Still, they are defending ACC champions but the reality is that sometimes, you just get lucky.
It doesn’t help that both quarterbacks Kale Pick and Jordan Webb left the game against A&M with injuries, but it wasn’t as if Kansas was competitive until they left the game. The Jayhawks never led.
“We just try to get to better,” Gill said. “That’s all we can do is try and get better as a football team and obviously we have injuries.”
What makes Gill’s situation at Kansas even messier is the fact that his contract makes it very difficult and expensive for him to be fired. Jayhawk fans were spoiled into thinking Kansas could be more than a basketball school, and for a few years it was. Now that football has fallen back into the dark ages, people remember the good times and want them back.
However, it may be about that time to honestly consider whether Gill is the right man to lead Kansas out of this mess. His players look confused on the field. They show up late to the huddles. They don’t seem prepared and look like they’ve given up by the end of the game. And these things reflect coaching more than the team’s lack of talent.
In fairness, you could argue Gill deserves a few years to prove himself with his own players. But the fact remains that the only guys Kansas could recruit after winning the Orange Bowl are the guys you see on the field now. So what makes you think a coach — that many fans already resent — can persuade high school kids to come play football at the bottom of the Big 12 in a stadium of fed up people?
Kansas may need a miracle.
— Edited by Kelsey Nill
Gill not fazed by realignment talk
Texas A&M is possibly leaving the Big 12, but Gill said he ...
Where's the exit?
Jayhawk fans head for the door and leave their team in the ...
Galloway: Just say no to Mangino
While the football team and Turner Gill have struggled this season, looking ...
Morning Brew: Kansas follows ‘Friday Night Lights’ ...
The Jayhawks’ season compares to season four of the hit show.
Gill has no regrets
Despite Saturday’s one-point loss to Baylor, coach Turner Gill stands next to ...
Others’ trash is Kansas’ treasure
Schools such as Oklahoma and Texas looked past Kansas players Tood Reesing, ...
Shroyer: Watch ‘other’ football team
Fans aren’t paying enough attention to the “football” team that’s really worth ...
Joseph: Nightmare football season almost over
Kansas doesn't have much chance of defeating Missouri and ending this season ...
Carpenter: Zenger knows football
Turner Gill still has time to grow, but athletic director Sheanon Zenger ...
Football tries to stop the bleeding in ...
The Jayhawks, with a third-string quarterback and on a three-game losing streak, ...
Carpenter: Hope after disappointing football season
A mix of young talent and experience could lead to improvement for ...
Players prepare for noise factor
The Kansas football team is spending extra time in practice to prepare ...
Big12 Fastbreak: February 28, 2997
All the conversation starters (and potential friendship-enders) fit to print in the ...
Football schools improve basketball programs
Athletics Department hopes to follow the lead of other schools and make ...
Football: A season preview
Yearly transitions provide new projections for the upcoming Jayhawk football season. The ...
Joseph: Gill wasn’t the best choice for ...
Compliments to Turner Gill on his character, but character doesn’t get you ...
Brew: The rebirth of Kansas football
Well on the way to a recovery, Kansas football fans need to ...
Aggies present different challenges to KU offense
The Jayhawks are out to replicate their offensive performance against Baylor in ...
Passmore: Perfect team gets no love from ...
Each Saturday ESPN talking heads talk shop about the week’s games and ...
Jayhawks sliding in conference play
Unpredictable play leaves women's team fighting to stay above .500.
Gill focused on present, unconcerned with future
Despite questions as to who will fill next season's starting quarterback position, ...
Fans no-show for Saturday’s Border Showdown
The Jayhawks’ disappointing season ended with a loss to the Missouri Tigers, ...
Speculation surrounds search for a coach
The list of coaching candidates to replace Mangino is lengthy.
Volleyball team targets improved Big 12 standing
Hawks hope to reach 3-4 in the conference in a home match ...
Dwyer: Gill needs to have faith in ...
The Jayhawks coach should stick to his guns in regards to players’ ...
O' Brother: Sibling columnists debate Big 12 ...
2012 football schedule announced
With two new teams on the schedule and a new coach at ...
Jayhawks still losing
Guest columnist Aaron Berlin thinks that Gill's promises at the beginning of ...
Roesler: Give Gill a break
The first season is not the time to judge a coach’s true ...
No respect at all
Big 12 coaches are tired. Sick and tired of the unfair treatment ...
Morning Brew: Is the magic gone or ...
Candidate breakdown: Who could be the next ...
The sports staff evaluates the options for Turner Gill's replacement.
Robinett: Don’t blow off Baylor
Usually the butt of Big 12 jokes, Baylor men’s basketball is experiencing ...
Race for the Big 12 title
The Big 12 Conference regular season has reached its halfway point. The ...
Kansas embarrassed by Griffin III, Baylor
The Bears set school records in total yardage in a Big 12 ...
Stock report: Cutting the talk to contenders ...
With recent victories, Kansas and Kansas State roll into the NCAA tournament ...
Gill has high hopes, but are they ...
Despite a difficult season ahead, the Jayhawks still seem to ‘Believe.’
No. 1 Jayhawks hold off Texas A&M
Kansas faces off against a Texas A&M team that has yet to ...
Big 12 conference remains unstable
And then there were nine...
Editor's note: Jayhawks should be just fine ...
The Wave editor Scott Toland shares his thoughts on the future of ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Team lacks talent, fails to improve once again
C'mon, KU football players. YOU (and your mommies and daddies) got Mangino fired and Gill hired.
You--not Gill--YOU owe the fans solid victories. YOU owe us some fresh Orange Bowls, right now. Not Gill. YOU!!
You boys are sittin' there letting Coach Gill take all the heat; you're sittin' there lettin' Coach Gill get crucified for YOUR sins. That's sick, you sick puppies!!! You better take off those diapers and put on them football pads, boys!! NOW!!
Team lacks talent, fails to improve once again
It's easy to assume that KU football will be horrible forever, as it was during the dregs of the Terry Allen years. But, to borrow a quote from ultramarathoning, "It never always gets worse." Things might get better. They might get worse. But in all likelihood, both are going to happen.
Team lacks talent, fails to improve once again
I'm sure having the majority of the student section (and most of the stadium for that matter) walking out before halftime is a great incentive for the players to do well. If the fans don't care when times get tough, then why should we expect the players to?
Team lacks talent, fails to improve once again
The players are being given a very generous scholarship to play well -- or at least, to the best of their abilities. Poor attendance is poor justification for poor performance on the field, and frankly, I'm surprised it's trotted out so often. Try that excuse in ANY line of work, or any classroom setting, and see how far it gets you. "I'm sorry boss, but it's been slow today. I really didn't feel like the customers appreciated me." Please. Fans shouldn't be expected -- much less obligated -- to support uninspired, lackadaisical play.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID